Editorial: Sharing the past with the future

Published 5:43 pm, Saturday, January 17, 2015

We're glad to see the Town of Greenwich is not neglecting its own history.

In the months to come, special events will mark the town's 375th anniversary of its origins in 1640, when the land was purchased for 25 English coats. Sure, the odd number may not draw as much attention as the 400th anniversary, but we believe every generation deserves a chance to learn more about the community around them.

The first event, slated for Feb. 22, will draw more attention to the traditional re-enactment of Gen. Israel Putnam's 1779 escape from the British regiment during the Revolutionary War. Events slated for subsequent months include neighborhood history tours, a Founders Day Celebration on July 18 and an anniversary parade on Sept. 27. The Greenwich Historical Society will host an innovative oral time capsule of the town from April 22 to Aug. 30.

One of our favorite events is the planned re-telling of local history using 50 objects from the past. The concept itself is hardly original, but we appreciate that the text to accompany the objects will be written by Greenwich High School students instead of historians.

The students will surely learn about the town's history as they do a little teaching of their own. With that in mind, we encourage town officials to seek and seize opportunities to engage students throughout town to learn more about the past 375 years in the months to come. The future of Greenwich should be grounded in its past.

The town itself can be a rich classroom. There are countless lessons in environment and commerce related to Long Island Sound. The arrival of the railroad in 1848 transformed a country town into a center for shipping, as Greenwich cornered the market in New York for potatoes. The image of modern Greenwich began to emerge with the passenger train, as schedules in 1854 were not all that different from today, with departures heading to New York at 6:36 a.m., 7:21 a.m., 8:49 a.m. and 11 a.m.

Flip the time machine to 1929 and consider that Indian Harbor Yacht Club's membership dwindled from 345 to 167 after the Stock Market Crash. For many residents, children and otherwise, it would be a surprise to learn of the days Greenwich Avenue traffic moved in both directions.

Educators will have to move pretty quickly to bring history lessons about the town into classrooms. The school of the future, meanwhile, already seems to have a sense of history. The plans for the new building for New Lebanon School call for 21 classrooms to house, yes, 375 students.